The MAAC Tournament is looking for a home starting in 2020, and Atlantic City is an option.

The resort city is one of four spots bidding for the event, MAAC Commissioner Rich Ensor told Gannett New Jersey. Home to Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic City is joined by Bridgeport, Connecticut, and Webster Bank Arena; Long Island and Nassau Coliseum; and the incumbent, Albany, New York, and Times Union Center, which is the home of Siena College.

The MAAC Tournament is operating on a two-year deal at Times Union, which has hosted the event 18 times since 1982, including the last three seasons. The new bid cycle will award the event for the 2020, 2021 and 2022 seasons. A decision is expected shortly after the MAAC Council of Presidents meets in June.

Should Atlantic City get the MAAC Tournament, Monmouth and Rider would act as co-hosts.

"There is some sense that it is healthy to rotate the event between competing buildings, and we all understand we have to put our best foot forward," Ensor said. "Competition is a good thing, and there is definitely a sentiment among presidents that not being in Albany for a six, seven, eight-year period is OK."

In layman's terms, the presidents told Ensor they want a review of MAAC basketball, which will include the future of the MAAC Tournament and potentially moving it closer to the metropolitan area.

In turn, Ensor sent out bid documents to 10 arenas in the region. Four came back with bids. One of the six that did not submit a bid was four-time MAAC Tournament host KeyBank Center in Buffalo, New York.

Atlantic City and Boardwalk Hall have experience with this short of thing, having hosted the Atlantic 10 Tournament from 2007-12. Like the MAAC Tournament, the A-10 Tournament has lived a nomadic existence since its inception.

"Atlantic City is a destination spot," Ensor said. "It has the facility, it has the hotels, it has the support system in place to host big events. I talked to one of the athletic directors from the Atlantic-10, who said it was by the best place they've been, including Barclays (Center)."

One factor in Atlantic City that would have to get ironed out is tournament dates. The MAAC Tournament traditionally falls on the same weekend as the NJSIAA Individual State Wrestling Championships at Boardwalk Hall.

Nassau Coliseum has long been considered a potential host. Having reopened last spring after a 20-month, $165 million renovation, the building would give the MAAC a real footprint in the metropolitan area.

At one point, Ensor hoped for the combination of a MAAC Tournament at Nassau Coliseum and Hofstra coming on board as the MAAC's 12th member. He has stated publicly on more than one occasion that the league is not actively seeking a 12th member.

Jan. 27 represents a key litmus test for the Long Island bid as Nassau Coliseum will host a MAAC tripleheader of Fairfield-Quinnipiac, Monmouth-Marist and Iona-Manhattan. The latter matchup, for what it's worth, remains the league's preeminent rivalry.